1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording device for information media which records information data and management data on information media having an information data area for recording information data and a management data area for recording management data.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, a recording device using a plurality of information media and continuously recording information data on said plurality of information media has been known. Such a recording device may be used e.g., to record long-time conference talks, sales talks or telephone talks on information media to retain it for evidence. The recording device reproduces the information recorded on media if necessary to disclose the recorded content.
For example, in Japanese Non-examined Patent Publication No. 9-102185 (and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,923), there is disclosed such a recording device that continuously records information data on a plurality of information media. The carrier recording device described in Japanese Non-examined Patent Publication No. 9-102185 records information data continuously on plurality of carriers and index information, on a each carrier, indicating that the information data has been recorded continuously on two carriers.
Further, the carrier recording device continuously records information data by recording information data that is entered while control is transferred from one carrier to another carrier and recording the stored information data on the selected carrier after the new carrier is selected.
However, said carrier recording device is forced to record particular index information onto carriers. The end of information data recorded onto a carrier is continuous to the beginning of information data recorded onto the succeeding carrier and identical information data have never been recorded on a plurality of carriers.
Further, a reproducing device that continuously reproduces information data from a plurality of information media is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Non-examined Patent Publication No. 5-114196. The video signal reproducing device described in Japanese Non-examined Patent Publication No. 5-114196 is equipped with an overall command circuit to control reproduction of two VTR decks.
Immediately when the overall command circuit detects a Near End-of-Tape signal during reproduction of magnetic tape on one VTR deck, the overall command circuit controls the other VTR deck to reproduce magnetic tape which has stopped at a position where a Near Beginning-of-Tape has been recorded, and switches to the output of the other VTR deck immediately when the End-of-Tape signal from the former VTR deck is detected.
However, said video signal reproducing device also had to record particular signals such as Near End-of-Tape, End-of-Tape, Near Beginning-of-Tape, and Beginning-of-Tape signals on magnetic tapes. On said video signal reproducing device, the end of information data recorded onto one magnetic tape is continuous to the beginning of information data recorded onto the succeeding magnetic tape and an identical video signal has never been recorded on a plurality of magnetic tapes.
As described above, the conventional carrier recording device and the video signal reproducing device require recording of particular data which link information data recorded on two information media when information data is recorded continuously on plurality of information media. Information media recording particular data on it must be reproduced singly by a particular reproducing device that can reproduce such particular data. Therefore, a recording device has been required to record information data on plurality of information media without recording particular data.
When one recording device has completed recording information media, the recording device outputs a control signal to the other recording device to keep on recording succeeding data. In response to this control signal, the other recording device starts to record the succeeding data on the other recording media. In this case, due to a delay time period between the output of the control signal from one recording device and the start of continuous recording by the other recording device, part of information data in this delay time period may have been lost.
If information data is lost, no one can tell what data follows the end of information data recorded on one piece of information media and what data exists before the beginning of information data on the other piece of information media. Further, no one can tell even whether or not data is lost. Therefore, there currently exists a need for an apparatus that eliminates the above described loss of data.
An object of this invention is to provide a recording device for information media that can continuously record information data onto plurality of information media without recording any particular information pertaining to continuous recording and without losing any part of information data.
To accomplish said objects, a recording device for information media according to claim 1 is characterized in that the recording device for information media which records information data and management data on information media having an information data area for recording information data and a management data area for recording management data comprises a recording and reproducing means for recording information data or management data onto information media and reproducing information data or management data from information media,
an overlap recording time setting means for setting an overlap recording time period, and
a control and calculate means for calculating a single recording time period from a recordable time period obtained from the management data of said information media and the recording time period which is set by said recording time setting means, outputting a signal for starting continuous recording when a time period lapsed after the start of recording of information data onto said information media is equal to the single recording time period, and controlling said recording and reproducing means to stop recording the information on said information media when the time period lapsed from the output of the signal for starting continuous recording is equal to said overlap recording time period.